After the Fall
by Dr. Emma Hamish Winchester
Summary: So we see Anakin join his Master and friend Obi-Wan Kenobi as a Force Ghost at the end of Episode 6. But what happened after Luke walked away? Reunion One-Shot. Please Read and Review. May be willing to expand this into a full redemption fic depending on response.
A/N: Hello everyone! So... this is just an angsty little one-shot I wrote ages ago. Please tell me what you think, and depending on response I may publish more. If I did, I would be open to suggestions, but it would basically be a canon redemption fic focusing on Obi-Wan helping Anakin heal after Vader, and them rebuilding their relationship. It might go into the new trilogy, but once again it depends on response. Please tell me what you think of it!

I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

* * *

Obi-Wan smiled as a Force ghost flickered into being near him. Anakin. He had missed him.

He studied his friend, who looked confused and disoriented at the new surroundings before focusing his attention on Luke.

Anakin was definitely older than the last time Obi-Wan had seen him; at forty-six a few wrinkles were visible around his eyes and his long blond hair was sprinkled with grey. The ravaging scarring and gold eyes were gone though, which was all that mattered. Watching Anakin, he once again saw the horrible scene on Mustafar, heard his apprentice's screams as he burned, reaching out a hand to Obi-Wan in pleading supplication. Obi-Wan forced the memory from his mind, throwing Luke a grateful look. Without him, none of this would have been possible. Thanks to the boy, Vader had been overthrown.

Leia walked up to her brother, the two talking and laughing over some private joke. Luke looked back at them once more, and was gone.

* * *

With his departure Anakin's smile vanished, and Obi-Wan suspected his friend had only been keeping up a pretense for the sake of the boy. The younger ghost stared at the assembly with a terrified, trapped expression, then his gaze turned to Obi-Wan, his eyes deep, haunted wells of pure pain and fear. He glanced back at the rebels for a long moment, then turned and ran headlong into the forest.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan called after him, surprised by his action. He looked back to check. No, Luke hadn't noticed his father's desperate retreat, to busy enjoying the company of his friends to notice the group of dead Jedi.

Yoda spoke, "Let him go, you should, Obi-Wan. Much to think over, he has."

The ghost took a moment to consider, then followed his friend through the trees, cursing as he did so his time in the desert that had aged him prematurely and his ten years seniority, both of which gave Anakin a distinct physical advantage. Forget Yoda and his advice. Anakin needed him.

Finally he heard some crashing nearby, which he followed to where Anakin had tripped over a root and his oddly long robes, and now lay on the ground, crying. He scrambled up at Obi-Wan's approach, putting up a hand and stumbling backwards, "NO! DON'T COME NEAR ME!" His eyes were wide and frightened, he looked more like a panicked animal than a man.

Obi-Wan tried to sound soothing, "Anakin, what's wrong?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" He collapsed to his knees, sitting back on his feet and leaning forward on his hands, retching. Nothing came up, as he was now a ghost, but it was a pitiful sight nonetheless. He finally stopped, falling forward and letting his forehead rest in the dirt as he sobbed.

Obi-Wan stepped forward, sitting behind him and grabbing his shoulders. Anakin flinched as at a blow, starting to protest tearfully as he was gathered into the other man's arms, "No, no. Don't touch me. No."

"Shhh. It's all right."

"No, please. Go away, leave me alone." He sounded so miserable, hopeless, and desperate, like a tortured prisoner that begs for the pain to end, even though he knows that it won't. The sound broke Obi-Wan's heart.

"Why?"

"I'm a monster!" He paused, voice quavering with emotion, "I killed you."

"I appear to be all right," Obi-Wan snarked.

"I could hurt you again. I hurt everyone."

"Not everyone."

"Yes, everyone," Anakin argued petulantly. Obi-Wan smiled slightly. There was the Anakin he knew. Then he started to list and everything hurt again, "You, Leia… Luke is missing a hand because of me. All the Jedi are dead, the Republic, Ahsoka…" His voice broke, "Oh, Ahsoka. How could I have done that? How could I have said those things? And Padme…" He completely broke down. "What I did to her… I- I-" He stood, pacing the clearing, yelling at the sky, "Why am I still here? I did everything you wanted, I fulfilled your stupid prophesy, now let me just DIE ALREADY! I just wanted to die, I just wanted it to be over." He fell to his knees, staring at his hands with a horrified expression, "Blood. There's so much blood. I- I- I can't live with this. Just let it end. Please."

Obi-Wan was starting to be frightened. Anakin was so horribly broken, and he didn't have the slightest idea where to start helping him, "I'm sorry."

"How could I have done that? She- she said she loved me and I called her a liar. I killed her. I- I choked the life out of her."

What? "Anakin, what makes you think you killed her?"

"Palpatine told me, after Mustafar. What's wrong with me? How…"

"He lied. You didn't kill her. It wasn't your fault." He paused, "She forgave you, Anakin. She still loved you, even after everything that happened."

His horrified expression deepened, "Oh that makes it worse." He looked at Obi-Wan, tears streaking his cheeks, "You should go. Run away, escape. Lock me up and leave me alone somewhere where I can't hurt anyone."

Obi-Wan stared at his friend, "I can't do that."

"Don't you get it?! Vader is a threat! I could lose control again and then what?"

"Then nothing. You're a ghost. And you're not going to lose control. You're out, I promise. You're safe."

"How can you be sure?"

Obi-Wan walked over, putting a hand on the taller man's shoulder, "Because you're here. You did it; you defeated Vader. You saved yourself. Neither he nor Palpatine can ever hurt you again. Please, Anakin, you must believe me."

Anakin stared at him, then slowly, hesitantly, he nodded. Obi-Wan spoke, turning to walk, "Now, why don't we return to the party."

As he moved, he felt a hand grasp at his robe, and he turned back to look into his friend's wide, desperate eyes, "Don't leave me, Master. Please."

Obi-Wan sighed, gathering the traumatized Jedi in an embrace and lowering them to sit on the ground, "I won't. You will never be alone again, I promise." They sat silently, Anakin crying into Obi-Wan's shoulder, the other man stroking his hair comfortingly as he held him. He had failed Anakin before, he would never do so again. They were going to get through this, together.


End file.
